The homework board will be updated for the week by Monday afternoon. The slide show opens in full screen so you can see the previous week's assignments, too. The best indicator of whether your child has been doing their homework and classwork is to check PowerSchool.
6th Grade Social Studies Information
We will be sending home our Team Paradise welcome letter that outlines our team policies during the first week of school. If you would like a preview click here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/103ytgKTTckyo2eMONE4RY7ENLqed1COcaARGNElI9j8/edit
Combination Locks - Students can carry string bags at school. Full size book bags should go inside lockers until the end of the day. SMS issues a combination lock to each student in sixth grade. These are the locks they are expected to use until they graduate. Sixth graders often struggle with combination locks. A little bit of practice helps! Watch the video for one method of opening a Master Lock.
Chromebooks - Most assignments require the use of a device. The district supplies a Chromebook for student use throughout the year. It is important that students develop a routine that enables them to bring a functional and fully-charged Chromebook to school each day. The Slides presentation to the right offers some guidance on how to take care of a Chromebook to keep it in working order.
PowerSchool - PowerSchool is our digital gradebook. You can click on each grade to see scores and comments for individual assignments. There is a web version and an app. Instructions and the code for the app are on the district webpage . You can also contact the Middle School Office to get help. Monitoring PowerSchool weekly is the best way to see if your child is completing their work on time and performing successfully. Once you know your login information, you can access PowerSchool at https://springfield.ps.nwoca.org/public/home.html
Google Read & Write is a powerful text to speech extension that will read text from Google Docs, webpages and more. The district has subscribed to it. Students who are auditory learners or who need some assistance with texts above their reading level will find the text to speech feature useful. It also has a screen mask that can help students stay focused on the part of the webpage they are reading and highlighters that can help students mark key ideas on a web page to help them process what they are reading. Here is a video demonstration of what the program can do. Typically the icon is found to the right of the address bar on the student's Chromebook.
Moby Max, specifically the Fact Fluency module, is what we will be using to increase fluency with basic facts. As knowledge of basic facts becomes more automatic, more working memory is freed up for students to problem solve.
Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
Our team of teachers strives to partner with parents to coach students in academic and social behaviors that promote success. Team Paradise has a discipline plan that focuses on five important positive behaviors. Students are expected to be respectful, responsible, prepared, safe, and involved. Teachers will spend time working to coach students in these positive behaviors. These rules apply to our online spaces as well as our classroom and school-related places. Click here for our Behavior Matrix
Team Paradise will work hard to recognize and reward positive behaviors. When a student struggles behaviorally, the classroom teacher will first remind the student of the classroom expectations. If disruptions continue, students may be asked to conference with the teacher or with the team of teachers to discuss strategies to shape appropriate behavior. Students may receive a consequence such as a loss of a privilege or a lunch detention. If a student's behavior remains a cause for concern, teachers will contact the parents for additional support. Office referrals are issued for persistently disruptive behaviors, acts of disrespect or aggression, or for any behavior that poses a threat to safety. Office referrals are subject to discipline decided by an administrator.
PARENTS AND GUARDIANS - Please complete this Parent Information Form
To aid teachers in contacting you with concerns, questions, and good news please complete the Google Form: